Many people misunderstand what career transition support actually is.
Career transition support, also commonly called outplacement, is a service paid for by an employer to support someone after their employment ends and help them determine what comes next. Employers often think first about resumes and LinkedIn, but those are only part of the support and are rarely what someone needs most in the first moments after losing a job.
When we are involved in a notification meeting, we may not discuss the broader career transition program at all in that moment. Our immediate role is to help the meeting go as smoothly as possible, support the leader and HR professional, and then provide the employee with a safe place to land once the message has been delivered. We listen to how they are feeling, answer the questions we can, and help them understand what needs their attention right away and what can wait.
In the first hours and days after losing a job, most people are not thinking clearly about LinkedIn or interview preparation. They are trying to process what happened and understand what they are supposed to do next. They may be wondering what to tell their family, whether they should contact colleagues, what they should say publicly, or how quickly they need to make decisions. They may feel upset, embarrassed, angry, relieved, or several of those things at once.
One of the first questions we often hear is, “What do I do now?” People can feel completely paralyzed by the number of decisions in front of them, even when many of those decisions do not need to be made immediately. They may be wondering how they are supposed to finish the workday, what they should tell their children, or how worried they need to be about their finances.
Career transition support can start right there. Someone can help the individual work through the immediate dos and don’ts, think about how to speak with family and colleagues, review the information they received, and make sure they have a plan for getting home safely. Having a calm person available after the meeting can make a significant difference, particularly when the individual is still trying to absorb what they have just been told.
We have supported people who appeared completely calm during the notification meeting and later told us they could not remember most of what was said. That is one of the reasons planning what happens after the meeting matters just as much as the conversation itself.
The person does not need to arrive with a plan or be ready to start applying immediately. The first conversation is usually about what happened, how they are doing, what questions they have, and what would be useful to them in that moment.
Losing a job can affect much more than income. It can affect confidence, identity, routines, family life, and the way someone sees their own value. Even very successful people can suddenly struggle
to explain what they are good at. After years in the same organization, they may know their work extremely well but have no idea how to describe it to someone outside the company.
We regularly meet people who have spent fifteen or twenty years with one organization. They know they contributed, and the people around them know it too, but when we ask what actually changed because of their work, they sometimes struggle to answer.
People often default to listing responsibilities because that is easier. They can explain what they were accountable for, but not always what they accomplished, the problems they solved, or why their experience matters to another employer. A good career coach helps them look more closely at their work and understand the value they actually brought.
A termination can easily become the lens through which someone begins viewing their entire career. Part of rebuilding confidence is helping them focus again on what they did, the value they brought, and the accomplishments they achieved throughout their time with the organization. One decision about the end of someone’s employment does not erase everything they contributed before it.
That thinking becomes the foundation for a resume, LinkedIn profile, networking conversations, and interviews. The goal is not to fill those materials with polished language that could describe almost anyone. It is to help the person clearly explain their own experience, results, strengths, and value.
Career transition support also helps people understand a job market that may have changed considerably since they last looked for work. Someone who has not applied for a role in ten or fifteen years may find the process completely unfamiliar. Applications are handled differently, LinkedIn plays a much larger role, and interviews may now involve several stages, virtual meetings, assessments, presentations, or conversations with several decision makers.
Having someone explain what to expect, provide honest feedback, and help prepare for those conversations can make the process feel much more manageable.
The next step may not be another traditional job. Someone may be considering consulting, self employment, retirement, a different industry, or a complete change in direction. Career transition gives people room to explore those options rather than assuming the answer is simply to replace the job they lost.
Financial guidance can also help someone understand how much flexibility they actually have. Finances are often one of the first and biggest concerns after job loss, and access to financial counselling can help someone determine whether they need to return to work immediately, can afford to wait for the right opportunity, or may be able to consider retirement. It allows them to make decisions based on real information rather than fear.
For employers, career transition gives the individual a qualified and confidential place to turn after the notification meeting. HR and the leader do not have to become the person’s ongoing career coach, resume support, financial sounding board, and source of job market advice. They can
connect the employee with someone who understands the process and can continue supporting them once the meeting is over.
Employers often think first about resumes and LinkedIn because those are the most visible parts of career transition support. They are important, but they are only a small part of what people tend to value most. The greater value is often having a person to talk to, test ideas with, and receive practical guidance from as they work through what to do next and what they should avoid doing too quickly.
Career transition support should always be confidential. At Gilker McRae, we may confirm whether someone has activated or participated in their program, but we do not share the content of coaching conversations or the decisions they are considering. That privacy allows people to speak openly and use the support in the way that is most helpful to them.
The employer purchases the program, but the support belongs to the individual. Someone may begin immediately or take some time before they are ready. They may use every resource available or only need help with a resume, an interview, or one important decision. The support should respond to the person rather than push them through a standard process.
Career transition does not place someone in a job or decide what they should do next. It provides experienced coaching, practical tools, current information, and a place to work through the decisions in front of them.
The real value is that the person has somewhere to turn and does not have to figure out what comes next alone.
